Mac OS 7.5.5 running on Apple Watch [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Mac OS 7.5.5 running on Apple Watch [video]

#31

Post by Tloewald » Wed, Jun 24, 2015, 2:08 PM UTC

WoodenChair wrote: post #6

mburns wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

MacOS System 7.5.x shipped on ~100MHz PowerPC chips with ~24MB of RAM, a bit higher in the later models. So the Watch most certainly has more processing power. The real problem is emulating PPC -> ARM, which is a very slow process, and why the boot time is so long in the video.

For the record, my Performa 6116CD which shipped with 7.5 had a 60 MHZ PPC 601 and 8 MB RAM. It could run on significantly less than that as well - in fact I believe it ran as far back as on some 80s machines.

Right but it ran System 7.0.x.

System 7.5 had OpenDoc, so it ran in two modes: fast, light, and stable, OR with OpenDoc.

Re: Mac OS 7.5.5 running on Apple Watch [video]

#32

Post by Tloewald » Wed, Jun 24, 2015, 2:09 PM UTC

kelnos wrote: post #23

morsch wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder why? After all, it's directly attached to a huge heatsink with a sophisticated liquid cooling setup that ensures it will stay at a comfortable 37C -- it will even do evaporative cooling when necessary, going so far as to replenish the liquid reservoir on its own.

That sounds... uncomfortable. Seriously.

Imagine the marketing: "and it uses YOUR body as its cooling system"!

Re: Mac OS 7.5.5 running on Apple Watch [video]

#33

Post by sanoli » Wed, Jun 24, 2015, 6:35 PM UTC

Tloewald wrote: post #30

sanoli wrote: post #29

My second favorite computer to write (my main job), to this day, is still a Powerbook 1400c running System 7. It uses a G3 upgrae so it's very fast/responsive, as that OS would run just fine on even a 040 processor.

I'd have to say my favorite computer ever was the Power Mac G4 867MHz running 8.6 (or was it 9.1?). Basically Mac OS 8-9 just ran obscenely fast on PowerPCs as it was essentially in maintenance mode while they built OSX, so we got years of little more than stability patches and cosmetic changes without bloat while Apple's hardware was overtaking Wintel (temporarily). Heck you could run the entire OS and applications…

You're right: my 1400 maxes out at some 64 megs or Ram. More than enough for writing/text editing, but too little for anything else. The keyboard is awesome by the way.

I also replaced the hard drive with a fast pcmcia compact flash card, made it even more responsive.

There was also a G4 upgrade for the Powermac 9500 series that was compatible with System 7.

Re: Mac OS 7.5.5 running on Apple Watch [video]

#34

Post by kalleboo » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 2:13 AM UTC

Tloewald wrote: post #32

kelnos wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds... uncomfortable. Seriously.

Imagine the marketing: "and it uses YOUR body as its cooling system"!

I just wish it would use my body as an energy source. Battery low? Eat a hamburger!

Re: Mac OS 7.5.5 running on Apple Watch [video]

#35

Post by bghhgycff » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 4:31 AM UTC

mburns wrote: post #5

z-cam wrote: post #3

In theory Apple Watch has the processing power for significantly > OS 7 http://www.cultofmac.com/320279/how-powerful-is-the-apple-wa...

MacOS System 7.5.x shipped on ~100MHz PowerPC chips with ~24MB of RAM, a bit higher in the later models. So the Watch most certainly has more processing power. The real problem is emulating PPC -> ARM, which is a very slow process, and why the boot time is so long in the video.

It's emulating a Mac Plus.

Re: Mac OS 7.5.5 running on Apple Watch [video]

#36

Post by Animats » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 5:06 AM UTC

Animats wrote: post #18

Aw. Apple Watch looks a lot like the Watch icon (shown when the system was busy) in the original MacOS. Now if someone can figure out how to do pointing on a tiny screen, it might work. Maybe you wave you arm around in space and the accelerometers drive the cursor.

Now here's a thought. Wear two devices, one for the screen and one for pointing. Move the other hand around to move the cursor. Or track the other hand when some distance from the screen when you need a cursor smaller than your thumb.

We're going to need that technology soon, so you can do stuff while wearing VR goggles. So downsize it to the wrist.

Re: Mac OS 7.5.5 running on Apple Watch [video]

#37

Post by gonzo » Thu, Jun 25, 2015, 7:15 AM UTC

kalleboo wrote: post #34

Tloewald wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine the marketing: "and it uses YOUR body as its cooling system"!

I just wish it would use my body as an energy source. Battery low? Eat a hamburger!

Get ready for 3XL iBands for your iWatch.